Lattice rail joint



Feb. 27, w23,

E. WOLHAUPTER LATTICE RAIL JOINT 2 sheets-sheet l Filed Sept. 16', 1922 W rA/Essss Feb. 27, w23. @944mm E. vVVOLIflAUFTER Y LATTCE RA-IL JO-INT File@ sept. 16, v1922 2 sheetssheet 2 @H201 weg Patented Feb. 2l?? i923.

B-NAETCN TN0Ill-LMU"ETER, F NVJ vE()BY-l'E'lLE, lElW YORK, JSSIGOTOPJ TO THE BAIL JOINT COTPANY, OF NEW] YORK, TN. Y., AG'OBEORATION OF NEW" YORK.

LATTICE RAIL JOINT.

Application filed September 16, 1922. `Serial No. 588,612.

To all whom t muy concern:

Be it known that l, 'BENJAMIN TVOL- n'AUr'mR, citizen of the United States, residing at New Rochelle, in the county ot llestchester and State of New York, have invented certain new and useiiul improvements in Lattice Rail Joints, of which the following is a specication.

This invention relates to au improvement in rail joint bars having to its chief object the production of a bar 'for that purpose involvingan economical use o'r metal, while at the same time possessing;` lexibility and strength so as to be capable o1" carrying the loads and strains as well as permitting the rail wave motion to easily passthrough the joint.

To that end the invention contemplates a rail joint bar utilizing a principle oi' girder construction which lends itself to the malring of a light rail joint bar with a come paratively thin web and yet so stitlened as to easily carry the loans which are placed thereon. it the same time a substantial amount ot' metal is saved thusirnaterially reducing` the cost of the bar to the user.

Therefore, the invention ei bodies in a rail joint bar the desirable t-grirder construction permitting` the use of a relatively thin web member, and head and 'tootnienibers of substantialljv T formation. .l'lliile thus obtainingall the desirable features ot a light l-seetion in oint ban the present invention also proposes to stitl'en and reinforce the saine by stitiieners or truss .members arranged within the channels at the outer and inner sides oli the bar and united preferably by welding' to the inner and outer "Hannes ot both the head and toot ot the bar, the said stiiteners or truss members being; arranged in a novel manner to readily carry the compressive and tension strains, thus giving strength and stability to the bar.

lilfitli the above and other objects in view which will more readily appear as the nature of the invention is better understomfl` the sam'e consists in the novel construction, combination ano arrangement ot partsVhereinafter more fully described, illustrated and claimed.

A preferred and practical embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure l is a vertical sectional view oit a rail joint bar en'ibodying the present improvement.

Figure 2 is a side elevation oi' the novel joint bar construction shown in Figure i.

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure i showing ar modiiication or the invention.

Figure 4 is an inside view of the joint bar shown in Figure 3.

Similar reference characters designate correspondingparts throughout `the several figures of the drawings.

ln carrying the invention into effect it is proposed to provide a joint bar ot substantially l-section having; a vertical web portion A of minimum thickness connecting-the head and foot portions B and C oi the'bar;

the said weby A being); in 'fact so thin and light as to be incapable of carrying the loads or strains usually imposed upon the joint without the aid of proper reinforcement, such l'or example as proposed by the present invention. Thus, according); the

resent invention, the web of the rail is rolled as'thin as possible and vet provides an adequate connection between the ton and bottom chords ot the'bar, thereby savingr a considerable amount of metal. and then the web is reinforced ina manner requiring' less metal but Agiving adequate strength for all loading strains.

rllhe loading` strains imposed on joint bar ot l-beam or `Qjirder cross-section manifest themselves in Icompressive strains which travel in both directions downwardly troni the point where the wheel load is imposed on the head B to the several points on the foot C where the latter is supported on the ties,

and. as the wheel load advances along the head7 this condition still holdstrue. llt will thus be apparent that the direction of compressive strains trom one point on the head of the bar down to the supports for the base thereof are diiierent 'trom the direction of strains from another point on the head ot' the bar down to the same supports. This also holds true ier the tensile strains.

Therefore, to take care ot the compressive strains as well as the tensile strains, it is proposed to connect the head and foot of the bar with the novel truss or reinflncing incinbers 1G and lll. the former providing for the strains which run from the head to the foot vin one direction, and the latter taking care of the strains in the opposite direction. The said truss members E and E which are y respectively arranged at the outer and inner sides of the bar, are diagonally disposed in opposite directions, and, are connected to the head B and foot C of the bar, as well as the web A, along the inside edges by a suitable weld l?, thereby providing in effect a lattice girder construction connecting the top and bottom chords, B and C of the bar, so as to properly distribute and carry the loading strains from the head. to the foot without danger of buckling or otherwise impairing the strength of the relatively thin web A.

ln the form of the invention shown in Figures 1 and 2 of the drawings it will be apparent that the relatively thin web A of the bar is placed in the central part or axis of the head. thereby providing adequate space between the head and foot of the bar at both the inner and outer sides of the web to accommodate the oppositely inclined diagonal truss members E and E which are arranged in crossing relation at opposite sides of the web.

By this construction a splice bar of eX- tremely light weight is formed, yet at the same time the stifl'eners or truss members adequately take care of all the strains traveling in either direction from the head to the foot of the bar7 or vice versa, and not only prevent buckling of the web but distribute any and all loads from the head to the base in a thoroughly practical and efficient manner. Also, when the sti'eners or truss members are applied to the joint members, it will of course be understood that they are spaced in such a manner as not to interfere with the positioning of the bolts which are used for connecting thevopposite bars of the joint.

ln Figures 8 and 4 of the drawings a Inodification vof the invention is illustrated wherein the thin web A occupies a relatively outwardly advanced location with rcspect to the axis' of the head B of the bar. In this embodiment of the invention the diagonal stifleneis or truss members E2 may be arranged solely in the channel at the inner side of the bar, which would doubtless be sufficient for joint bars used in conH nection with light rails and light tiafiic conditions. The stifeners or truss members lll arc.r of course. 'welded at their opposite ends1 as indicated at F. to the head and foot of the bar and also to the web A', there by becoming in effect an integral part of the oint bar structure and contributing Ina-- terially to the strength thereof.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that the novel and distinctive feature of the present invention is the provision of a relatively light but strong joint bar which may be readily adapted to larger and higher rails which are now generally used to meet the requirements of heavier rolling stock. Furthermore, an import-ant economical advantage is gained by the material saving in metal effected by utilizing the relatively thin web portion in connection with the spaced diagonal stiffeners or truss members, becausethe amount of metal required in the truss members is relatively small as compared with the larger amount of metal saved in thinning out the web.

`Without further description it is thought that the features and advantages of the invention will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art and it will of course be understood that changes in the form7 proportion and minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention or scope of the appended claims. v

I claim 1. A rail joint bar of E-section having inclined truss members in the channel between the head and foot portions of the bar.

2. A rail joint bar having stiffening members arranged in lattice truss formation.

3. A rail joint bar having inclined truss members in the web thereof.

4. A rail joint bar of -section having truss members welded to the web of the bar.

5. A rail joint bar of 1section having truss members welded to the head,y foot and web portions of the bar.

6. A rail joint bar of I-sectionhaving inclined truss members secured in the ehannel thereof.

7. A rail joint bar off-section having inclined truss members arranged in the channel of the bar and connecting with the head and foot portions thereof.

S. A rail joint bar of llsection having stifl'ening members arranged to provide a lattice truss for the bar.

9. rail joint bar having the head and foot portions thereof connected by a relatively thin web, and a lattice truss construction connecting the head and foot of the bar at opposite sides of the web.

1.0. `A railjoint bar having the head and foot portions thereof connected by a relatively thin web and diagonal truss mem bers arranged in the channel formed by the head. web and foot and welded thereto.

1l. A rail joint bar having the top' and bottom chords thereof connected by a relatively thin web and inclined truss members welded to the head and foot of the bar and also to the web thereof.

12. A rail joint bar. having the head and foot portions thereof connected by a relatvely thin web arranged in the plane of the axis; o'i the bead and forming relatively deep channels at opposite sides of the web7 and diagonal truss members arranged in the channels at the opposite sides of the bar and Welded to the head, web and foot of the bnr, the said diagonal stiener members at one side of the bar being arranged in reverse relation to those on the opposite eide of the bar.

In testimony whereof l hereunto affx my Signature in the presence of two Wtnesses.

y BENJAMN WTOLHAUPTER. VVtnesses:

E. K. Knlzsllrrmxe7 C. A. DISBROW. 

